Dear Pattaya Mail,

I wanted to comment on an unpleasant occurrence at a recent golf event. The Delaney’s St. Patrick’s Day Scramble, sponsored by Delaney’s Irish Pub, and organized by the Pattaya Sports Club, sounded like it would be a great day out. For one or two people, however, it was not. Let me say up front that this letter is not meant to slight the organizers nor sponsors on the day. This is a comment on individual behavior.

The format of the event was a four-person scramble. For non-golfing readers (if there are any), this means that all team members tee off, then the best ball is chosen and all players hit from that spot, and so on. The team plays this way until a member putts out to finish the hole. The team is given a handicap based on the individual handicap of each member. It’s a fun format because even lesser skilled players can contribute by sinking a long putt or by hitting a lucky chip or tee shot.

So, on to what happened that day. I was a late addition to the event, and I had not met the other team members I was to play with. I located and introduced myself to two of them, both low handicappers, and we waited for the fourth member to show. He never did. Coincidentally, a good friend of mine (we’ll call him Bill) awaited the arrival of his team, whom he had also never met. They were no-shows as well.

There reached a point when all other teams had arrived and were on their way to a fun golf day. And here was my team, two low handicappers and myself, and lacking a fourth member. Here was Bill without a team. There should have been no discussion, no deliberating. We had our fourth member. All should have been well. Not!

There was one nit-noi problem. Bill, although a PSC member, did not have a proper PSC handicap. He had played in golf leagues through his employment, but had not turned in enough scorecards to the PSC. In this situation, the player without a handicap must play to a “scratch”, meaning a zero. Like I said, a nit-noi problem.

Well, once the low handicappers on my team learned Bill had to play scratch, they wanted nothing to do with him. They claimed the loss in strokes for the team handicap would likely be the difference between the winners and tenth place. With three players, our team had a handicap of 1.6 strokes higher than if we added the “scratch” golfer.

The more adamant of the two said, “Sorry, but we’re competitive. We came out here to win.” These arrogant pseudo-pros had the audacity to think that three players could score better than four players at 1.6 strokes less. At Bill’s expense, they were willing to throw away 25% more attempts at each and every shot on the day. The fact that Bill is an excellent golfer is irrelevant. He filled the final open spot in the tournament—plain and simple.

For crying out loud, this is resort town. This was to be a fun tournament...a low entry fee, no million-dollar purse, no ESPN, no perpetual trophy, no PGA tour exemption. The prizes were a few golf balls, a few beers and a few baht. Looking back now, I should have withdrawn and played with Bill at another course. As it turns out, Bill told me later he wouldn’t have been forced into joining people with such attitudes. Being a long-time resident of Thailand, he took a “mai phen rai” stance. Upon leaving the clubhouse, he held the door for the arrogant ones, grinned, and said, “Have a Happy St. Patrick’s Day”.

Mark Twain once said that “Golf is a good walk spoiled”, referring to the frustrating nature of the game. It shouldn’t be made worse with the type of arrogance and selfishness displayed that day.

Sincerely,

Editor;

A few years ago Bangkok had what I recall as being a rather successful blitz on motor vehicles that were overly polluting the city. The targets even included the local bus system. I am one of the less affluent long term visitors who comes to Pattaya and who cannot afford the luxury of an air-conditioned motorcar. Instead, I get around on my motorbike.

Whilst riding around I am repeatedly almost being suffocated by numerous vehicles, mainly other motorbikes and local taxis, which emit such an excess of exhaust fumes that it is almost like a smoke screen trailing along behind those vehicles. Some of these smoke bombs (mainly motorbikes) look as if they are about to explode!

I am concerned about my lungs but then I am not so young anymore and perhaps need not be concerned on my own behalf; however, there is a matter of deeper concern and that is the young children growing up in Pattaya. How will their developing respiratory systems fare with all of this muck entering the local atmosphere?

Isn’t it about time the local authorities clamped down on these errant vehicle owners/drivers by forcing them to improve the combustion within the motors of these vehicles?